FRANCISCANS DISCOVER HOPKINS 5. THE WRECK OF THE DEUTSCHLAND The Deutshland foundered in a severe storm in the North Sea. All on board were drowned. Far away in Wales, Hopkins was deeply moved by this ship-wreck, and began to compose a long poem about it. Hopkins was particularly saddened by the loss of five Franciscan [...]
Archive for the ‘Gerard Manley Hopkins’ Category
18 Oct
Hopkins uses Duns Scotus’ treasure
FRANCISCANS DISCOVER HOPKINS 5. The Franciscan idea of inscape Hopkins liked Dun Scotus’ idea of haecceitas, but it was too abstract for him to use directly for his poetry. He took the idea of landscape, the way an artist arranges the exterior world and chooses colours, composition and frame to express herself. Hopkins’ revolutionary idea [...]
16 Oct
The Franciscan who influenced Hopkins
FRANCISCANS DISCOVER HOPKINS 4. THE INFLUENCE OF DUNS SCOTUS DUNS SCOTUS – Franciscan Theologian 1265-1308 Hopkins acclaims Duns Scotus in Duns Scotus’ Oxford Towery city & branchy between towers; Cuckoo-echoing, bell-swarmèd, lark charmèd, rook racked, river-rounded; The dapple-eared lily below thee; that country & town did Once encounter in, here coped & poisèd powers; Thou [...]
15 Oct
The life of Gerard Manley Hopkins
FRANCISCANS DISCOVER HOPKINS 3. THE LIFE Paul Mariani recounts Hopkins’ life in fascinating detail in his 2008 biography (reviewed here). The main facts are listed below: o Born in London in 1844 to loving parents, the eldest of seven siblings. o His father was in a lucrative marine insurance business. o Baptised at St John-the-Evangelist [...]
14 Oct
Priest-poets enrich the Franciscan spirit
2. WHY SHOULD FRANCISCANS BE INTERESTED IN GERARD MANLEY HOPKINS? Gerard Manley Hopkins was a poet-priest, that is, he wrote poetry as part of his vocation as priest. His poetry is ministry. Hopkins is in a long line of priest-poets. George Herbert was one. Hopkins looked back to the Dominican geniusThomas Aquinas, a serious teacher [...]
13 Oct
Why Should Franciscans be interested in poetry?
FRANCISCANS DISCOVER HOPKINS 1. SHOULD FRANCISCANS BE INTERESTED IN POETRY? • St Francis was influenced by the troubadours. His interest in troubadours probably started on journeys to France as a child. The troubadours: o Sang in Italian or Provençal (French) and not Latin. o Broke convention by singing love songs to ladies beyond their status. [...]
13 Oct
Franciscans discover poet-priest Gerard Manley Hopkins
The next posts in Mind Journeys will be a Franciscan exploration of the 19th Century poet Gerard Manley Hopkins. These posts started originally as notes for the Convocation of the West Australian Franciscan Tertiaries last weekend. Many of the Tertiaries present had encountered Hopkins in school as part of their English classes, but had never [...]
